Rory McIlroy skips PGA Tour event at Trump’s place, still gets shoutout from president at White House dinner
Rory McIlroy has decided to forgo playing at Trump National Doral for the PGA Tour’s Cadillac Championship this week, but President Donald Trump appears to have no ill will towards the six-time major champion.
McIlroy and his wife, Erica, met with England’s King George III on Tuesday evening. They attended the White House State Dinner for Charles and received high praise from the president midway through his speech. Trump went so far as to encourage McIlroy to stand up amid his private shouts midway through the event.
Rory McIlroy meets King George III of England in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. He attended the State Dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to honor Charles and Queen Camilla. (Photo: Henry Nicholls / AFP via Getty Images) (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
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“That was invincible courage. That was very good, Rory,” Trump said. “Where’s Rory McIlroy, can you stand up please? I don’t know if this will help them talk about how great my speech was, but I had to cut my speech short because I watched that guy win a tough, tough tournament. Congratulations, I’m proud of you. I’ll get back to my speech now, okay?”
McIlroy won his second straight Masters earlier this month, becoming the fourth player in major championship history to successfully defend at Augusta National. Tiger Woods was the last man to achieve this, winning the green jacket in 2001 and 2002.
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament on the 18th green of Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images) (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Following his win at Augusta, McIlroy skipped each of the final three events on the PGA Tour schedule; That includes this week’s signature event at Trump Doral, which returns as a Tour venue for the first time since 2016.
Many assumed McIlroy would compete at Doral in the non-stop event this week, but with another signature event at Quail Hollow next week followed by the PGA Championship the following week, the 36-year-old opted not to play for three consecutive weeks.
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Rory McIlroy poses with caddy Harry Diamond while holding the Masters championship trophy during the green jacket ceremony after the final round at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 12, 2026. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
A GOLD DONALD TRUMP STATUE HAS BEEN PLACED IN DORAL AHEAD OF THE PGA TOUR’S RETURN TO THE PRESIDENT’S GOLF COURSE
Trump and McIlroy have played golf together in the past, including an incident in February 2025 when the president announced he had. I’m not a fan of the LIV Golf format Despite hosting a number of events at Trump properties for the Saudi-backed circuit.
The Cadillac Championship begins Thursday with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlining the limited-field event.
